In the manufacture of elongated components, and in particular aircraft wings, support stands (also referred to as stanchions) of differing heights may be required. This may be the case with aircraft wings in particular, wherein the thickness of an aircraft wing may change considerably, moving from the root of the wing (where the wing attaches to an aircraft fuselage) to the tip of such wing. To adequately support the wing, multiple stanchions are typically used along the length of both sides of the wing. These stanchions may be required to each be of a custom height in order to support a particular location of a specific model of wing, depending on a number of factors, including, without limitation, the weight to be supported, the design tolerances, the type and amount of work and/or inspection to be done, etc. Further, support stands or stanchions may be required which, in addition to support, can provide proper alignment of an elongated component during assembly or transport. In some cases, it may be required that a support stand function as a jig in addition to support functions. Additionally, operability within a range of alignment configurations may be required. Given the variety of wing models which may require manufacture, maintenance, inspection, testing, evaluation, etc., the construction of stanchions that are custom-made for each of the various wing models and/or configurations can be expensive, labor intensive, and can adversely bear on productions schedules.
Further, transport of elongated components, such as aircraft wings, may require adjustment of the height of support stands in order to compensate for changing terrain conditions beneath the stanchions. For example, movement of an elongated component across a workshop or assembly operation floor can result in load shifting during movement across uneven or unleveled floor surfaces. Load shifting of this type may, in some cases, adversely affect structural integrity of elongated components. Distribution and/or re-distribution of changing loads along the elongated structure during transit may be required, in some cases involving measurement and height/load adjustment during transit. Moreover, in some cases, transport of elongated components may require positioning and/or repositioning of the support stands along one or more axes of rotation or along one or more planes in order to compensate for deviations from predetermined positions which are desired for certain assembly operations and which, in some cases, may not be associated with load shifting.
Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditional approaches to the support of wings and other elongated structures may become apparent to one of skill in the art, through comparison of such systems with the teachings and examples set forth in the present disclosure.